Those who’ve read my latest book, “Wood, Iron and Blood“, will remember its description of the California Trail, taken by many emigrants from the eastern states to California and Oregon in the 1840’s and 1850’s. I read many accounts of the crossing while preparing to write that book. One of the more interesting travelogs… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: From Pacific Springs to Salt Lake City by river during the Gold Rush
Tag: History
Now that’s what I call well-preserved
I was fascinated by these before-and-after images of what a poster on Gab described as, “A 2000-year-old Roman silver dagger, that was discovered by an archeology intern in 2019 in Germany, before and after nine months of careful restoration work”. Click the image for a larger view. Intrigued, I looked for more information, and… Continue reading Now that’s what I call well-preserved
An interesting comparison of the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces
Retired LtGen Mark Hertling encountered Russian and Ukrainian service personnel over many years in various postings, in Europe and elsewhere. In a very interesting article, he outlines what he remembers of them, and how he saw the Ukrainian army become much more professional over time, while the Russian army did not. (A tip o’ the… Continue reading An interesting comparison of the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces
Is this China’s perspective on the Ukraine war?
Strategy Page has an interesting analysis of what China’s position appears to be on the war in Ukraine. It’s part of a larger, longer article discussing the war in general and President Putin’s position in particular. Officially, China supports Russian efforts to deal with “Ukrainian aggression.” Unofficially, China is critical of the Russian war… Continue reading Is this China’s perspective on the Ukraine war?
Concerning that Peter Zeihan video about Russia and Ukraine…
… that I posted last week: it was an hour long, so I know many readers didn’t have the time to watch it. Thanks to CDR Salamander, we find a shortened, 12-minute video from Mr. Zeihan, looking at the Ukraine war and its implications for Russia, today and in the future. It distills the… Continue reading Concerning that Peter Zeihan video about Russia and Ukraine…
This is a must-watch video discussion on world events
I generally don’t like watching videos to get news and/or background information. They’re usually far too long, with too few facts stuck between a lot of verbiage that’s of no interest at all. I prefer to read the transcript, so I can pick out the nuggets and ignore the dross. However, some videos are… Continue reading This is a must-watch video discussion on world events
Saturday Snippet: The legacy of a Roman legion transported to a strange world
Marc Alan Edelheit has become a well-known fantasy author, basing much of his work on the history of the legions of Rome, but in a fantasy setting that incorporates much traditional mythology such as orcs, dwarfs, elves and dragons. He does it better than most such attempts, and I’ve found myself reading and re-reading… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: The legacy of a Roman legion transported to a strange world
Who can forget “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli”?
On this date 50 years ago, the movie “The Godfather” opened in cinemas nationwide. It was a smash hit, and today it’s shown on TV or in cinemas almost every single day, somewhere in the world. Its popularity is astronomical. It’s had an overwhelming impact on cinema and acting since its release. I can’t… Continue reading Who can forget “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli”?
Putting our current crisis of leadership into perspective
What we see in Washington D.C. right now is the fruit of a “color revolution” very similar to those the USA engineered in the Middle East and Ukraine in recent decades. Bold, underlined text is my emphasis. In August 2020, the Washington Post published an opinion piece, “What Americans should learn from Belarus” as… Continue reading Putting our current crisis of leadership into perspective
It’s almost as if they don’t want us to know the truth about Ukraine
I’ve said several times in these pages that both Russia and Ukraine are far from blameless in the current war. Both sides have been duplicitous, dishonest, and downright criminal in their behavior, and both nations are ruled by utterly corrupt individuals and organizations. We know a lot about Russian corruption and criminality through various… Continue reading It’s almost as if they don’t want us to know the truth about Ukraine